I am very excited to share my interview with a fantastic illustrator, Elina Ellis.
Tell
us a bit about yourself.
My
name is Elina. I am 31 and I live in Cornwall – one of the most
picturesque counties in England. I have a son who is 8. His full name
is Alexander, but I call him Sasha rather than Alex, because this
name reminds me of home, which is Ukraine by the way.
When did you first become interested in illustrating?
I always drew. All my friends starting from nursery and then through school and university have my drawings. I used to draw the caricatures of teachers during lessons to entertain my classmates, and I used to draw all the school posters to keep the teachers happy. I illustrated my first book at the age of 15. At the same age I started working for several newspapers providing them with funny images for the back pages. No money of course, but they printed my work! And my granny collected all the cut-outs from all the newspapers with my drawings!
Describe your average day.
When did you first become interested in illustrating?
I always drew. All my friends starting from nursery and then through school and university have my drawings. I used to draw the caricatures of teachers during lessons to entertain my classmates, and I used to draw all the school posters to keep the teachers happy. I illustrated my first book at the age of 15. At the same age I started working for several newspapers providing them with funny images for the back pages. No money of course, but they printed my work! And my granny collected all the cut-outs from all the newspapers with my drawings!
Describe your average day.
I
get up at 6. Draw for a bit, then get my son off to school, then gym,
then draw a bit more, then another job (most illustrators I know have
a second job for some financial security), then pick Sasha up from
school, then we go swimming, or squash, or badminton, then come home,
dinner, homework and sleep for my baby and more drawing for me. And
then a bit of reading before bed time
Where
does your inspiration come from?
From everywhere! Books, magazines, shop windows, nature, people, life in general. Anything can inspire me! I am constantly looking around and trying to notice every little thing!
What is your working environment like? (you can provide pictures if you like)
I will provide a picture, but in the meantime my working environment is quite simple. I have a table in the middle of the living room with two computers and a drawing tablet on it… That’s usually all I need.
From everywhere! Books, magazines, shop windows, nature, people, life in general. Anything can inspire me! I am constantly looking around and trying to notice every little thing!
What is your working environment like? (you can provide pictures if you like)
I will provide a picture, but in the meantime my working environment is quite simple. I have a table in the middle of the living room with two computers and a drawing tablet on it… That’s usually all I need.
What tips would you give to people thinking about becoming illustrators?
You have to be REALLY passionate about illustration, because it is very hard work with plenty of hurdles and set backs. Only with this burning passion inside you do you have a chance of becoming successful and enjoying what you are doing tremendously.
What 5 things do you love doing most?
Drawing
(obviously), dancing (I love salsa!), sports (running and squash are
my faves), travelling (everywhere and anywhere, starting with the
neighboring cities and finishing with the most remote parts of other
continents), learning (I think I have been studying all my life an I
am definitely not done yet!)
I can live without the rest, I am afraid)))
But
there are about 20 others that I am checking more or less regularly
Who are your 3 favorite illustrators?
Oliver Jeffers, Emily Gravett and Rob Scotton
Where can people find your work?
My
website: www.elinaellis.co.uk
My blog
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